FOI Publication Scheme

The State Examinations Commission is responsible for the development, assessment, accreditation and certification of the second-level examinations of the
Irish state: the Junior Certificate and the Leaving Certificate. The State Examinations Commission is a non-departmental public body under the aegis of the
Department of Education and Skills.

The State Examinations Commission (SEC) is a statutory body established by Government in March 2003 under Section 54 of Education Act, 1998. The SEC assumed responsibility for the operation of
the state certificate examinations from the Department of Education and Skills from 2003 onwards. It has been established as a public body staffed by civil
servants. Its five non-executive Commissioners have been appointed through the Public Appointments Service and on the nomination of the Minister for
Education and Skills. The permanent executive of just over 150 staff, led by a Chief Executive Officer, supports the Commission.

The Commission deals with the provision and quality of the Irish State Examinations. The organisation is committed to working in partnership with school
authorities and education providers in order to deliver a high quality examination and assessment system that is efficient, fair and accessible and to
ensure that the system is operated in an environment of openness, transparency and accountability.

The Commission is responsible for the operation of all aspects of the established Leaving Certificate, Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, Leaving
Certificate Applied and Junior Certificate Examinations including written, oral, aural and practical components and assessed course work in some subjects.
Two million components are examined annually. We also organise certain trade and professional examinations. The individual functions involved in the
operation of the examinations include:

Organising the holding of examinations

Preparing examination papers and other examination materials

Determining procedures for the conduct and supervision of examinations

Recruiting contract staff to draft and mark examination components and to superintend at the examinations

Arranging for marking of work presented for assessment and examinations.

Issuing the results of examinations

Determining procedures to enable the review and appeal of results of
examinations at the request of candidates.

The Commissioners are mandated in their duties under the State Examinations Commission (Establishment) Order 2003. The Board of Commissioners appointed for
a three year term until 30th November, 2018 are: